EXCELLENCE & VERSATILITY: John Sterling Ruth and his Olympus Gear

“2018 marks my 30th year since opening my studio,” says John Sterling Ruth. Today, he is a top commercial photographer with a client list that includes American Express, Coca-Cola, Volvo, Martin Guitar and Mastercard. As an Olympus Visionary, John primarily uses the OM-D E-M1 Mark II to capture his automotive, lifestyle, travel and corporate images.

“About six years ago, I started a motion/video portion of my studio, which elevated my work to another level,” John remarks. “Motion work now accounts for about 50% of the studio’s revenue.” Early last year, he and his crew produced a video to announce the new waterproof and shockproof Olympus Tough TG-5. “This lifestyle adventure brought us to sunny Costa Rica where the shoot took cast, crew and me, with our Olympus gear, through whitewater rapids, sand and surf, rainforest humidity, rappelling cliffs and more,” he states. John says that he switched to Olympus because he has always been a fan of its optics. “The introduction of the OM-D lineup has been a great marriage of technology, image quality and great glass.” He adds that the camera’s light weight, portability, 5-Axis in-body image stabilization and weather sealing are a real bonus.

Quality Glass. John notes that he has always gravitated toward prime lenses. “The introduction of the ultra-fast M.Zuiko 25mm F1.2 PRO and 45mm F1.2 PRO primes has been a key upgrade in my favorite lens selections for the OM-D E-M1 Mark II.” Although he prefers primes, he also shoots with the M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO and 7-14mm F2.8 PRO. “These zooms offer quite an unmistakable convenience factor.”

Consistently Sharp Images. For his work, John says that the most important feature on the OM-D E-M1 Mark II is 5- Axis in-body image stabilization. “It is a crucial ingredient for successfully sharp images in my car-to-car automotive shooting. ” Some M.Zuiko PRO lenses feature in-lens stabilization; when the body and lens systems are combined, they create Olympus’ most effective 5-Axis Sync IS system. Between the camera body and lens stabilization, John gets a very high rate of quality final images to deliver to the client. He also praises the camera’s weatherproofing. “I love being able to get into the water or stand next to a waterfall with my models and not have to worry about my camera and lens getting splashed,” he says.

Upping Its Game. “I have been thrilled with the introduction of the OM-D E-M1 Mark II,” he remarks, adding that it shoots incredibly fast. “The dynamic range and low-light capabilities are impressive.” The addition of 4K video and multiple frame rates has also been important to his video production. “Overall, I love what Olympus is doing and where they’re heading,” he concludes. “If their goal is to be the leader in the Micro Four-Thirds movement, they have really nailed it.” Hear more from other photographers who have made the switch to the Olympus OM-D system at www.getolympus.com/neverlookback.